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Fruit Street Health (Fruit Street), today announced that the University of North Florida will be using the FruitStreet.com telehealth software for a new research study to evaluate the efficacy of a Web-based binge eating disorder intervention program. In this study, dietitians and therapists will provide counseling to binge eating disorder (BED) patients via HIPAA-compliant video conferencing on the FruitStreet.com software.

Dr. Zhiping Yu, an assistant professor in the University of North Florida’s Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program, is the principal investigator. She will be using the FruitStreet.com telehealth software to research to determine if a Web-based video conferencing intervention could help treat patients with binge eating disorder.

“We hope that by using the FruitStreet.com telehealth software we can determine whether or not a web-based intervention would be an effective and safe method for treating patients with BED. The FruitStreet.com telehealth software was the perfect solution for our research because it provides us with a method for conducting HIPAA compliant video consultations and interact with our patients through a web portal in a simple way,” she said.

BED is a serious eating disorder in which a patient frequently consumes unusually large amounts of food and feels unable to stop eating. The causes of binge-eating disorders are currently unknown, but family history, biological factors, long-term dieting, and psychological issues can increase risk. Approximately 2 percent of men (3 million) and 3 to 5 percent of women (about 5 million) in the United States have BED.

“We are excited to be collaborating with Dr. Yu at the University of North Florida in this research study. Fruit Street is committed to providing out to researchers who are studying the potential benefits of telemedicine, wearable devices, and mobile applications on clinical outcomes,” said Laurence Girard, CEO and Founder of FruitStreet.com.

The University of North Florida’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics undergraduate and graduate programs are committed to transforming students into valued professionals through the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors essential for lifelong learning.

UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education.

ABOUT FRUIT STREET HEALTH:
Fruit Street Health is a new digital wellness and telemedicine platform based in New York City which licenses software to healthcare providers that enables them to conduct HIPAA compliant video calls with their patients and monitor their patients with wearable devices and mobile applications. For more details, please visit http://www.fruitstreet.com.
Media Contact: press(at)fruitstreet(dot)com